CONCORD, N.H. — Before she became an astronaut, Christa McAuliffe was a lively teacher in New England. She loved showing her students how everyday people made a big difference in U.S. history. Nearly 40 years later, a new documentary titled “Christa: From Ordinary to Extraordinary,” made by New Hampshire PBS, looks at how she continues to inspire others, focusing less on what happened to her on the Challenger space shuttle.
The film features her hometown of Concord, New Hampshire, where she was chosen from over 11,000 applicants to be the first teacher in space. As Governor Chris Sununu says in the documentary, “You say ‘Christa’ in New Hampshire, everyone knows exactly who you’re talking about.”
This documentary was released just three months after a bronze statue of McAuliffe was unveiled at the Statehouse to honor her on what would have been her 76th birthday. It includes interviews from people in her community and shows joyful memories, like a Main Street parade in her honor and some of her inspiring words to Concord High School seniors in 1985. The film captures the pride locals feel for a teacher who loved learning.
Christa was 37 when she tragically died in the Challenger explosion on January 28, 1986. The documentary briefly mentions this tragedy. “We all want to be remembered for who we were, not how we died,” says Jeanne Gerulskis, a former director of the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
Teaching History Through Everyday Lives
Christa taught social studies at Concord High School starting in 1983. She created a special course about the history of American women, which is still taught today. People in the documentary shared how she wanted students to see how regular people, especially women, make history. She loved field trips and had exciting dreams about sharing her experiences from space, saying it felt like being one of the pioneers in American history.
Holly Merrow, a former student, believes the documentary shows Christa’s spirit of inspiration. She recalls feeling like they were going to space too while learning from her.
Keeping Her Memory Alive
The documentary also emphasizes how important it is for kids to learn about Christa McAuliffe. In New Hampshire, students begin learning about government when they turn 9 and often visit the Statehouse. Christa’s statue sits near the entrance, serving as a great starting point for discussions. It is the first new statue there in over a century and the first of a woman.
At Concord High School, Kimberly Bleier teaches social studies in the same room where McAuliffe once taught. In the film, she talks about the responsibility of keeping Christa’s love for hands-on learning alive. Bleier now teaches a class called “Street Law,” which includes learning about the legal system. She remembers watching the shuttle launch on TV as a sixth-grader and how heartbreaking it was to see it explode. “I want to watch her, I want to hear her,” she says.
Where to Watch
The 30-minute documentary can be viewed online at the New Hampshire PBS website, or you can stream it on the PBS App.
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